In June, actor Jr NTR announced his next film with director Trivikram Srinivas. The actor-director duo has reunited after eight years, having last collaborated on the 2018 blockbuster Aravinda Sametha Veera Raghava. Their upcoming project is reportedly a mythological spectacle based on Lord Murugan.
Nonetheless, soon after the announcement, the film landed in controversy.
Why Is Jr NTR’s Upcoming Film Facing Backlash?
A line from producer Naga Vamsi’s announcement post on X has triggered a web based debate.
Sharing the first-look poster, Naga Vamsi wrote:
“Born within the North.
Forged within the Heartland.
Worshipped within the South.
Now… A tale destined to belong to the universe.”
The phrase “Born within the North” has not gone down well with a piece of social media users. Amongst those that objected was Tamil Nadu politician and Naam Tamilar Katchi leader Seeman. He issued a strongly worded statement on X, criticizing the makers and warning them of severe consequences if the film distorts historical and cultural facts. He also threatened to stop the film’s release in Tamil Nadu.
Notably, the film has not yet gone on floors, and the makers haven’t officially revealed its storyline. Nonetheless, based on the first-look poster, many have assumed that the film is predicated on Lord Murugan, with Jr NTR portraying the deity.
Moreover, the poster encompasses a Sanskrit verse that has been identified as being from Adi Shankaracharya’s Subrahmanya Bhujangam, a devotional hymn dedicated to Lord Murugan.
Seeman’s Objection
In his statement, Seeman warned that anyone attempting to “distort the history” of Lord Murugan or “demean Tamilians” would face “severe consequences.”
Moreover, he alleged that communities “lacking distinct identities, cultural elements, worship methods and divine traditions” had, over time, appropriated Tamil deities.
He asserted that Lord Murugan’s roots lie deeply inside Tamil culture.
“From time immemorial, probably the most ancient, primal god of Tamils, inseparably intertwined with Tamil culture and lifestyle: Lord Muruga Peruman. He, too, the nice Tamil race is not going to let slip away. Tamil is Murugan; Murugan is Tamil; the 2 are inseparable,” reads an element of his statement.
He further wrote, “I warn that the film crew must immediately abandon their attempts to fabricate and impose fictional tales, corresponding to claiming Lord Murugan was born within the northern plains—under the guise of art. Failure to accomplish that will lead to facing probably the most severe repercussions.”
Furthermore, Seeman urged the Tamil Nadu government to stop the film’s release within the state.
“Considering that this film, which distorts Tamil culture and is created with the intent to harm the emotions of Tamils, could lead on to serious law-and-order issues if released, I strongly urge the Tamil Nadu government not to allow the screening of its Tamil version or Telugu version in Tamil Nadu.”
Makers Yet to Respond
To this point, the makers of Jr NTR’s upcoming film haven’t responded to Seeman’s statement. They’ve also neither modified nor removed the caption accompanying the first-look poster.
Meanwhile, the project is yet to start shooting, and the team has not officially announced the film’s plot or confirmed that it is predicated on Lord Murugan. Because of this, it stays to be seen whether the makers will address the controversy or make clear the intent behind the now-debated tagline.
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